


Spreading Your Wings

by Amaria567_Eloft, ShortyStacks



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: AU, BackontheWingTrainIG, Kingdom of Hyrule, OCs - Freeform, We have body removal boys, Welcome to Me Not Posting for two Weeks, Wing!AU, Wings, forest, please read with care
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26922691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amaria567_Eloft/pseuds/Amaria567_Eloft, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShortyStacks/pseuds/ShortyStacks
Summary: When Hylia sent the people into the skies, she also blessed them with an ability thought only of one race. The skies were safe. They were warm. Welcome. Blessed. And so she’d sent them to the skies.The blessing that she’d sent them was odd. They were hurtful to the people who loved the goddess dearly. To others the odd gift was beautiful. They cherished the blessing, worshiped it dearly. This gift eventually became normalcy. It became common. It was passed through the people’s bloodlines.Note: AU Provided by Co-creator, ShortyStack
Relationships: Flora/Wild (Linked Universe), Malon (Legend of Zelda)/Time (Linked Universe), Sky/Sun (Linked Universe)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 91





	1. The Stage

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Mention of body part removal

_When Hylia sent the people into the skies, she also blessed them with an ability thought only of one race. The skies were safe. They were warm. Welcome. Blessed. And so she’d sent them to the skies._

_The blessing that she’d sent them was odd. They were hurtful to the people who loved the goddess dearly. To others the odd gift was beautiful. They cherished the blessing, worshiped it dearly. This gift eventually became normalcy. It became common. It was passed through the people’s bloodlines._

_And the blessings were wings. Real, giant sets of wings that allowed humans to jump off Skyloft and fly about, reaching islands in mere seconds. With these giant wings came about their other halves, the Loftwings._

_The loftwings, of who taught us of Hylia how to fly. They are both our companions and guardians. And thus is why you must take special care of the wings upon your back, for they are both a weapon and a tool. With the right usage, you could become an admirable knight to the academy, and to Skyloft._

Link read the passage through and through, the gray-red wings on his back pumping themselves back and forth in excitement. He always felt closer to the Goddess when feeling the feathered appendages on his back. Sure, he wasn’t as constant with his flying as the others, but why should he be? There were no dangers in Skyloft, and so long as he got to feel the airy clouds between his feathers with Zelda in his arms, that’s all he needed. 

Link placed the book down beside him, watching as a couple people younger than him dove into the water of Skyloft’s Lake playfully. The people’s wings shimmered beautifully against the sun, some having many colors and others having a solid color, whether it be brown or otherwise. 

Behind the lake stood a sea of clouds, created by Hylia herself. Such was the blessing of her. Link had so much respect for the old Goddess, though they had no way of knowing if she had made the clouds a hundred or ten thousand years ago. 

“I wonder… will we ever get to the ‘surface’ that the ancient texts talk about? And if so, do you think that people will stop having wings?” Zelda’s voice suddenly piped up behind the blonde. He looked over at her to find that she was looking at the book he’d placed in the grass, probably the same passage. Link had opened it so many times that the spine was used to opening the passage that he’d scanned over and over. 

Link gazed back into the sky. Zelda had a point. If Skyloftians ever reached the ‘surface’ again, would the Goddess take back her blessing? Link looked at the golden-haired female, who had no wings to speak of. 

*--------------------------*

Link grunted as he pushed a stone with his comrades, all looking strikingly similar to him. His wings fluttered with effort, all of the Links wings did. The Hylian watching rippled their dull, molting feathers as Link pushed with all of his might. The rock slowly gave way as he and his other pieces of himself panted in effort. A tiny Piccori cheered him on beside the winged hylian, holding a leaf to keep the rain off their back.

“Green… this is heavy!” Red puffed. Vio grunted agreement.

“Just keep pushing, Red!” Blue snapped tiredly. 

“Come on, guys, just a bit more!” Green assured. The boys heaved, and with one final push, the rock clicked into its designated spot.

“Wow! You guys are amazing!” The female called out, smiling eagerly. Red scratched his head along with Green, both flustered. However, Red was hiding slightly behind the stone-faced Vio, who gave the girl a smile as acknowledgment. “Please, come in!” She invited, guiding them into her home. 

Blue obliged reluctantly after Vio shrugged. Green already made his way inside, accompanied by the flustered Red. The four boys entered the home, being greeted by a rather cute sight. It was a rather common home, but a baby cradle and man was in the middle, soft cries coming out. 

“So this is the little one,” Vio observed, coming over to say hi. The girl nodded as she rushed towards her husband, kissing him on the cheek before grabbing her baby. “What are you to name it?”

“Ahhh…” The husband sounded slightly troubled while the woman started letting her babe suckle. The cries were silenced, but the mother sent a glare her husband’s way, making the man look even more uncomfortable. “You see…”

“Are you waiting until its plumage comes in?” Red asked, watching the tiny creature move underneath a small blanket.

“No,” The woman answered, a hint of her motherly nature coming in. “He’s wingless,” She admitted. “We planned to name him Krow as both of us have black wings but… the news was a shock.”

“Wow,” Red sounded horrified, glancing at his own purple-backed, but tiny wings. He could barely see them over his shoulder. “You must be scared for his future,” 

“Yes…” The woman agreed. 

“More wingless babies have been turning up,” Vio sounded purely academical at the news. “Do you think this is Vaati’s handiwork?” 

“I doubt it,” Green answered while the mother took her baby out from hiding. It, sure enough, had no wings- or even wing stubs poking out from its back, looking almost alien to the four Links. “It’s still rare, if every baby had no wings, then I’d suspect Vaati. But it’ll go away,” Green assured. “We’ve always had wings, there’s no way we can survive without them.”

“You mean no way you _want_ to survive without them,” The mother snapped back wearily. “You’re free to take what’s in that chest there, but nothing more. Thank you for reuniting me with my family.” 

“Of course,” Blue answered with one last nervous glance at the baby. The mother glared at the blue-clad hero, her eyes having daggers within them. After the four left the small family’s home, they looked at each other with fear in their features. What would happen in the future?

*--------------------------*

Link shuffled in his tunic uncomfortably. He needed to clean the pure white wings on his back, allowing him to move silently through the forest. The water temple had been a pain, even with his new Golden Scale, which helped his wings stay relatively dry, despite their massive amounts of fluff. 

He fluffed the feathers up, shaking them out with much effort. Water droplets flung everywhere, resulting in him being drenched once more. At least his wings were no longer so heavy. Link was not even sure as to why he and the other Hylians possessed wings. They couldn’t use them.

Navi fluttered beside Link, giving the hero a scolding stare. “What?” Link was very confused. It was unlike the gentle, sometimes annoying fairy, to scold him with a look. Navi chimed. 

“If you didn’t have _those_ , you wouldn’t have lost Ruto in the first place!” Navi exclaimed. Ah. Link had to admit, Navi did have a point. It was difficult to maneuver about in water with his wings. “I don’t understand why you had to be part of the half to have ‘em.” She went on, chiming in annoyance. 

“Well, Malon has them too. She likes mine, so I don’t care.” Link spluttered, ignoring the bit about Ruto. Ruto was a kind princess, but she was rather stuck-up at times, and he did not enjoy hanging around people like that. As he and Navi continued to argue, they headed toward LonLon Ranch, where his strange but funny acquaintance was waiting.

Malon was the only one he knew to use her wings, and she certainly used them, helping cuccos get down from hard-to-reach areas. Though they were loud compared to Link’s own. 

“Fairy boy!” Malon called from where she was brushing one of the horses. Link smiled, bringing Epona over to her. The woman immediately started to gush over her favorite horse. Link watched in silence, looking at the orange-tipped gray wings that Malon wore. God, were they beautiful. 

The vibrancy of her orange wings matched her hair perfectly, a little light compared to the dark dangers that Link was facing. Malon smiled as she kissed her beauty, making Link bask in her warmth. So long as Malon was alive, as far as Link was concerned, there was still light in Hyrule.

Talon, from a distance, watched his daughter and the strange boy in green, smiling. Despite not having wings himself, Talon knew that Malon was fiercely proud of her wings, and she was making young Link proud of his own. 

He was not jealous of them, for he knew how difficult it was to sleep with the feathers that often dug into poor Malon’s chest at night. She still woke with pin-feathers in her clothes, but the woman still smiled. The upkeep of wings was tiresome in Talon’s eyes, and so he let his jealousy go. It was pointless. Wings were _not_ needed anymore.

*--------------------------*

Link felt flustered as a group of three girls, one of the three with wings herself, gushed over his raven-black wings. They told him how awesome he was to have cleared that challenge, and how utterly amazing he was. Link could feel Midna’s annoyance burning up in his shadow, but he knew that she was amused by his embarrassment. 

Honestly, Twilight was still shocked to see so many people with wings, though they were very few in number. “Ladies, I’ve got to go…” Link informed, trying to get his mind off of the feathered muscles upon his back. 

“Nooooo I wanna brush them!!!!” One of the girls protested, looking upset. Midna tapped his foot from where she hid in his shadow in reminder, making Link kinda want to kick her. 

“They must be soooo soft,” One of the other girls added.

“I love the color on them,” The one with wings added. Link giggled at the girls’ comments. 

“They are pretty soft,” He assured. “But, seriously, I’ve gotta go, ladies. I might come back later for the new minigame, though.” The women giggled excitedly. 

“See you later, Link!” the three called over. Midna groaned at the exchanges.After he left with the others, Midna came out of her hiding space, ready to scold the young adult. 

“Oh, come on, Midna! It’s not a big deal! We ought to keep the people’s spirits up anyway.” Link told the girl, who rolled her shadowed eyes. 

“Whatever. Let’s just keep going,” Midna scoffed. Link chuckled at the Imp’s antics. 

*--------------------------*

Link was struggling to keep in the air, feeling the strain on both his back and wings. One of the Rito had been kind enough to offer him lessons, but he highly wished that they were a bit more developed. At least they were far more developed than his younger sister’s. Hopefully she wouldn’t get in any ideas while with the pirates. 

He felt his wings droop in defeat, sighing as he swooped into the water and crashed into the water. The helpful Rito landed beside the young man, looking at him proudly. 

“You did very well that time,” He informed with a smile. Link nodded with a pant. He leaned on his knees, regaining his breath. “Your wings will be working hard to adjust so that they can carry you, but until that happens, you’re gonna find yourself in a lot of pain. Don’t worry, though. You’ll get those wing muscles in no time.”

“Thanks.” Link puffed while leaning on his talking boat. The King of Red Lions was now nothing, a mere ghost of its former self. “I’m gonna sleep…” The boy puffed. His teacher nodded in agreement. 

“Yes, you deserve some rest, my friend. It is not often someone fights a primal evil and then decides to learn how to fly!” The rito sounded purely respectful, but Link wasn’t so sure he appreciated the respect that he’d been given. Even so, he knew that it would be given. 

“Can I come tomorrow?”

“Of course, Link.”

“Thank you,” Link thanked the feathered friend before climbing into his boat. He needed some sleep. 

*--------------------------*

Link groaned in pain, rubbing his forehead while Ravio fixed up the feathers that were out of place. He felt his feathers being gently moved one way to another, being corrected. Legend grabbed his knees in pain.

“And how did this happen, again?” Ravio urged Link to tell him once more. Link felt his face get all hot, meaning he was blushing. “Say it. I won’t be mad,” Ravio urged. 

“I… Ughhh….. I crashed into a tree, okay? It’d be a lot better, though, if those stupid kids hadn’t thought I was some roadkill!” Link screamed out before feeling something pull from his skin.

Ravio showed Link a bloody arrowhead, blood coming off of the silver metal. “Are you sure, Mr. Hero?” The man asked, sounding gentle. “I need to know, Mr. Hero.”

“....I accidentally ran into a monster camp,” Link sounded embarrassed out of his mind. “I was trying to get a hold of a new move when I accidentally started dashing off.” The teenager admitted. Ravio gently hummed, grabbing the thin silver comb that Ravio used on his own, thick and gently cared-for wing. 

Link looked away from the comb, feeling guilty. It was his fault that Ravio could no longer use the comb that fit his counterpart so well as much as he currently did. Expensive, bright, a little sliver of light in a world so void of it. The memory stung.

“Stop it,” Ravio scolded, grunting as he found another arrow stuck in Link’s wing. Ravio did not warn the blond, wrapping his fingers around what he could. The splintered wood would not assist in the removal of the arrowhead, Ravio knew. But he dug his fingers in, pulling against the slight-development of muscle. Link had been trying to use them for something, Ravio could tell.

“I can’t stop. It’s…. It’s my fault, Ravio.” Link answered. 

“It’s not.”

“But it is!” Link’s voice raised painfully, making Ravio wince. “If I’d been two minutes earlier, I would’ve saved you! I know I would’ve!” Link had stood, turning as best he could to look Ravio in the eyes. “Yuga would’ve never taken it!”

“Mr. Hero… It’s okay.” Ravio’s voice was painfully soft, gentle, and understanding. He tapped the hero on the shoulder, smiling softly. “It wasn’t your fault. It was my cowardice, you know.” Ravio looked at the light blue wing that he wore. It often resulted in his imbalance, making Link’s tardiness so much more painful. 

“Just.. stop talking please…” Link begged. The pain in his voice was hardly bearable at this point. “It’s my fault, and we both know it. So stop talking.” Legend hissed. He knew that he was being unfair to the kind, half-winged being, but it felt so cruel. So, so, so cruel.

“Easy, Mr. Hero. It’s okay.” Ravio assured, brushing his fingers softly through his friend’s wings. The poor things were still rather destroyed, but it did not hurt to feel Ravio touch them. Link was silent, so silent. And so Ravio continued, letting the thoughts on Link’s mind wander.

*--------------------------*

Link Looked at the young girl in front of him, being laughed at by a couple of other young girls. She was being relentlessly teased, and a pile of feathers lie at the young girls feet. The girl cried, her wings hanging in bedraggled state by her side.

“Hey, girls, I think that that’s enough.” Link called out. The ladies looked over at the older male, giggling. Link blinked at the girls’ responses. 

“Look at that guy’s wings,”

“Doesn’t he know that they’re stupid?” 

“I don’t care how stupid you think my wings are, they’re a part of me, and should be respected.” Link scolded the young girls. “Even the things that you wish you could change can’t be, and that’s okay. I’ve learned to love my wings for what they are, and so I’ll continue too. Come on, little one, let’s go.” Link urged, holding out his hand to the young girl. 

“Thank you…” The small girl sniffed, wiping her tears. She grabbed Link’s hand, guiding him back to the village that’d been recently built after Ganon’s defeat. The young girl asked Link all types of questions the closer that they got to the village. “Do you know anyone else with wings?”

“Most of the villages have a winged Hylian in them,” Link answered, distracted by his counting of people he knew with wings.

“Yeah? Are they picked on too?”

“Yeah, we all were,” Link answered. “A couple of old guys told me a story about a time where winged people were more common. Don’t believe ‘em, though. But that’s okay. I think that Wings add a unique flair to us, don’t you?” Link smiled warmly. The girl smiled back.

“Yeah, I agree!”

“Help us!” Link heard the call from over the crevice. He craned his neck to look over at where his soldiers were, helpless as a Aeralfos loomed over them. Link’s instincts kicked in. He jumped as far as his feet would take him, using his wings to glide the rest of the way. 

When he landed on the side of Skyloft’s cliff face, he used his feet to propel himself onto the dirt, leaving skid marks in his wake. The Aeralfos screeched in shock towards what Link had just done. 

Link did not pause to think that he had essentially just flown. Instead, he pulled out his trusty blade, slicing through one of the Aeralfos with ease. The other did not go down with ease. Despite Link slicing off a leg, the Aeralfos still stood. 

Bolts of lightning crashed from the sky, resulting in the death of the flying creature. 

“Link! Be careful.” Lana scolded. “I know that this is your mission, but you can’t be so reckless! Especially since not everyone approves of…” Lana glanced at the wings that made Link’s cape sit oddly upon his back. “Those,” She was gentle with how she referred to Link’s wings. 

He’d always had to work harder than most, especially since he was a concerning topic for all. Wings were rare, and he hated the treatment he received from the others. Lana and Zelda were the only ones that treated him like actual people.

“Please… don’t mention them.” Link’s voice was gentle. He didn’t want to remember them. He didn’t want to feel them upon his back.

“Right… I’m sorry.” Lana was gentle. “Come on, let’s finish cleaning up here so you can go close the Gate of Souls.” She urged. There were few monsters left on the battlefield, and yet Link felt like his comrades were safe. The man dragged his feet back to the no longer fighting. He was tired and exasperated and glad that his comrades were finished. 


	2. Scorching Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild gets yeeted into a portal and A shadow commits arson. Sky has Asthma. Oh no.

The smell of soup wafted over Zelda’s nose as she watched Link make one of his famously amazing meals. He twisted the spoon about skillfully, letting his thoughts run rampant. Zelda could feel them directed at her. She smiled assuredly when Link looked over at the canyon they wanted to explore, a nervous look about his face.

Honestly, the concern he had was one that she shared. Now that she’d lost her magical abilities, waiting for them to reawaken, it was a gamble to look down- and even go into- the canyon. But she was confident in Link’s abilities, looking at the many shields and swords that he’d collected for this task.

Zelda already heard Impa screaming in concern, and Purah bombarding her friend with many questions. She didn’t doubt that her friends would be concerned, but each had different priorities when it came to research. Zelda looked over at Link, who was now spooning up servings of the soup for later. 

Link could feel Zelda’s green eyes on him, watching him do what he thought necessary to protect her. Realistically, he knew that she wanted to say something, but he didn’t want to hear whatever it was she had to say. He wanted to tell her that he wasn’t the person he used to be but also didn’t. He wanted to make her understand that he couldn’t protect her as well as he used to now. But his lips were sealed, Link finding himself unable to tell Zelda the truth. 

Instead, he picked up the closest shield next to him, observing it thoughtlessly. Well, there were plenty of thoughts on his mind, but it was not about the shield. As Link pondered if Zelda hated him, despised him for his failures, he heard Zelda clear her throat anxiously. 

“Link… Is all of this really necessary?” Zelda looked at the sword strapped on Link’s back. “You do have the Master Sword, after all,” She pointed out, rubbing her hands together anxiously. Link sighed, putting the shield back in his Sheikah Slate. Zelda had yet to ask him for it back. 

“Anything can happen, Zelda,” Link whispered gently. Zelda nodded understandably. They both knew that better than most. They had lived through the Calamity, after all. “We should get moving.” Link urged, putting all of his weapons in his Sheikah Slate. There was no way of telling whether or not that he would need them, but he’d put them in there, just in case. 

Zelda nodded agreement, noticing the urgency in his movements. Link did not want to speak. As he had been for a while now, he was ignoring a discussion that the two desperately needed to have, and soon. But Zelda had waited one hundred years to see him again. She figured that she could wait a lifetime to hear what Link so desperately needed to say, if she did have to wait that long. 

The Hero and Princess headed down to the canyon, preparing for the steadfast journey. The two were both prepared, utilizing ancient Sheikah Tech to help the journey be smooth. They gripped the orange rock, moving down the slopes slowly but steadily. 

Eventually, they found the bottom of the pass, Tanagar Canyon’s walls looming far above them. Zelda felt small compared to the large walls, larger than that of her old hom. Her beautiful castle. How she missed them. But she shook her head, telling herself firmly that the past could not be changed. 

“You alright, Zelda?” Link inquired, looking at her worriedly. She nodded, taking comfort in the worry of her knight. He was always compassionate and gentle, no matter the memories he had. Zelda could see this in everything he did. “If so, then shall we enter?”

The two were shocked at the sheer amount of Guardians that lay in the forgotten temple. There were plenty of them, all aiming their gleaming eyes in on Link and the Princess, ready to fire. Link pulled out one of his shields, reflecting the oncoming attacks at the right moment. Five or six fell. 

Zelda and Link continued on, Link killing the guardians that attacked his precious friend with gusto. He did not want them to touch her again. He had failed to protect her against them once, and he vowed to never fail again. So long as the Guardians existed, so did his shame. 

He knew that. He felt that. It was so ingrained into his skull that he doubted he would ever remove that shame. Besides, the scars that hadn’t healed were his reminder that he was too late. That he’d slept far too long. 

“Link,” Zelda placed a hand on her knight’s shoulders, smiling gently. “That’s enough, now,” She urged. Her green eyes were warm with compassion and love, as well as a hint of understanding. Link ignored it. Her warmth was the only reason he knew what he was- somewhat was- like. “Link…” Zelda whispered as he walked away, unwilling to admit his guilt. 

Zelda knew the guilt he felt. Honestly? She felt it, too. If her powers had awakened moments earlier, maybe their Hyrule wouldn’t be in shambles. If she were stronger, her people wouldn’t have been so scared. The blonde put her hands into fists, digging her nails into her palm.

She focused on the pain in her hand, telling herself that the past was the past. “The past is the past. We must strive forward, toward the future,” Zelda spoke loud enough for Link to hear. He did not respond as she headed toward the Goddess Statue, which was at least 40 feet tall. 

The Statue’s unfurling wings stood above the world, a constant guardian in this world of decay. Zelda had been told the statue was the oldest of its kind, the only other in similarity being found at the Temple of Time in the Great Plateau. The princess put her forehead to the foot of the statue, muttering a sacred prayer in thanks for the blessing that was the hero. 

After the prayer, she smiled softly, pondering what to say. Link needed encouragement she knew. But how to encourage him? The woman frowned slightly, only to pull her lips back into a soft smile, turning toward the knight. 

“As I’m sure you know, when I first saw you carrying the Master Sword, I was… jealous, to say the least. I didn’t feel it fair that you were to be so beloved by the Goddess and I ignored. But, as time went on-” Snarling cut off the young-or was she old- Princess. 

Link ignored the guilt piling up in his throat, focusing on the creature that had interrupted the person that knew him oh so well. He and Zelda both gasped at the sight in front of them. Six, maybe seven, large creatures had come out of a triangle made of purple swirls and stars. 

The creatures had pink skin, were ugly and fat in all senses, held both spears and shields, and had many piercings on their bodies. They wore loincloths with a skull belt, reminding Link of a Hinox. Perhaps this was a sub-species? He did not ask Zelda, however, knowing that she would want to capture it. 

The creature in the front of the group dashed toward Zelda, roaring a battle cry. It was fast, but Link was faster. With a parry of his shield, the creature became stunned for a few moments, giving Link an opening. He took the Master Sword from its sheath, opening the belly of the creature. It roared in pain, dropping both its weapon and shield as it flopped onto the ground in death. 

Link rushed toward the other creatures, unhesitant. With a snap of his fingers, the creatures became shocked and screeched in pain at his attack. But one had escaped the wrath of lightning that was Urbosa’s Fury, dashing to attack the unprotected Zelda.

She had been watching the fight, hands clasped together in worry and eyebrows knit in thought. The strange creatures had come from that… thing in the center of the hall, meaning that it was likely to be a portal. Either these creatures were another test from Hylia, or someone else was stirring up trouble in the world.

“Zelda!” Link called out a warning far too late. Zelda looked back to reality to see a blur of silver and the feeling of being knocked into the air. She landed against the Goddess Statue, screaming in pain. Blood swelled against her neck, staining her clothing. But that was not her current concern. 

Her concern was that Link’s back was turned. One of the strange creatures was left, one of them trampling across the ancient hall,  _ defiling _ the ancient hall, while Link was walking toward his charge, tired to bits. 

Zelda’s throat burned. She must’ve somehow damaged it when she landed on the ground. The woman pushed herself upward, holding out her hand. She  _ demanded _ her powers to show, to protect the man that she loved. But nothing came. Link was knocked into the air, the precious Sword he wielded flung out of his hands. 

Zelda saw it fly towards her, and with a gasp, she dodged to the side, the sword flung into the toe of the statue that she’d been praying to moments ago. But Zelda did not look at it. She looked at Link’s flying body. He smacked against the side of a crumbling pillar, a small huddle of blue and white and brown. The creature snarled, rushing towards Link.

Zelda tried to run. She really tried. But as she got up, her head began to feel fuzzy and light. Her vision crackled and blurred. A pillar of blurry smoke and a flash of light were all she saw. But she heard the creature die. She heard Link grunt as he dug his sword into the side of the beast. And she heard her breathing slow, her heart thumping against her ribs, as her world fell black. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Link awoke to gentle nibbling against his cheek. He slapped it, finding an insect had bitten his face. The male groaned, used to the turnout. He quickly got up, though his sides burned. His ribs ached, and he knew that he was bruised. After inspecting himself for any major wounds, he looked around the wood.

The last thing he remembered was being kicked away from the pink-skinned beast and into the starry purple and blue portal. He knew that it was either dead or dying. Zelda should be safe without him for a bit. Hopefully, Impa had already sent her soldiers to look for them. The Yiga were still on his trail, after all. And they’d  _ love _ to kill Zelda, if not out of spite.

The wood he was in was bright, buzzing with the sound of insects and bees, one of which feasted on a flower beside him. With a small snap, Link killed a mosquito that buzzed around his face annoyingly. No lightning had erupted from the sky, meaning that his powers were either out or he couldn’t access them from wherever he was currently. He was, most certainly,  _ not _ in  _ his _ Hyrule.

The bushes rustled with life, making Link feel slightly assured as small but dizzying orbs of yellow light floated about him. Link stood up, brushing dust from his clothing before pulling out one of his meals from his Sheikah Slate, the meal coming from a grouping of particles in the air. At least he could still use his Slate. However, the meal did little to heal his bruises, and he froze at the sound of growling.

He turned around to be met with a man-like beast, standing on two legs. Its fur was shaggy, long, and dirty gray, moss flecked on the muzzle. Maggots writhed from the beast, and it smelled like a sickness. Link wrinkled his nose at the wolf-man, the only creatures he could liken it to. 

The beast howled, jumping towards Link with fury. He rolled to the side, not anticipating just how quick the thing was. The strange creature skidded against the ground, whirling at him again. He’d landed awkwardly, making it hard to dodge once more, and the man-wolf had not gone for his arms or shoulders, which were protected by his shield, but his leg. 

Strong, yellow-stained teeth bit into his flesh, making him howl in agony. The next moments were so fast that Link barely had any time to register them. A man with a black wolf’s pelt about his shoulders was offering his hands, smiling warmly.

“You react quickly, but not quickly enough. A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage, my friend.” The man gestured with a nod towards Link’s back, of which held a broadsword that Link had used to kill the other strange creature.

“...Right.” Link agreed, taking up the hand. He looked about, thinking he had heard another wolf, though it’d sounded much unlike the creature, but found nothing nearby. “I thought I heard a wolf,” He muttered to himself, looking at the other man quizzically. The man shook his head, frowning.

“No, it’s only me and you that could possibly be howling right now, Pup,” answered the man teasingly. Link blinked, looking over the man. His most unique features were the black tattoos- or, perhaps, war paint across his face, the golden chainmail he wore, and the sharp, raven black wings across his back. 

Link had never met anyone else like him. The man smiled confidently, whisking his black wings against Link’s nose. “Nice, aren’t they?”

“They’re very pretty.” Link agreed, looking away from the wayward man. He felt a sneeze coming on. The hero let it happen, sniffling after. But.. the wolf’s howl still bothered him. Link could not put his nose on it, but he  _ knew _ there was a wolf around. The man sighed, shaking his head. It would only bother him more. 

*~~*Different (Link’s) P.O.V*~~*

The forest hummed with birdsong and buzzing, just as it did in the forest that Link remembered. Even in a different forest, the woods would be, and were, the same. He was not upset at the fact that he had no idea where he was, namely, but more so at the fact that he could not find Hylian wing feathers  _ anywhere. _

Even out of molting season, it was impossible to not drop feathers on the ground. Link wished that he had Fi still. Well, he did, but not like he used to. The presence of the blue spirit, which was so analytical and calm in even the toughest of situations, had started to dim after the defeat of Demise.

Now, she was nothing but a warm and supporting hand pushing him forward. Link could not help but wish that she were the same spirit that enveloped and supported him, though. And yet it was impossible. She was still in the process of fighting and removing Demise from the holy blade. 

So long as she was fighting Demise, she would not appear any longer. She would be nothing more than a memory now, a guiding light for the heroes after, and before, him. The Master Sword was most certainly a blade, a danger, even in its sheath. Even as a blade, Fi still had a ferocity to her, and so Link had to let her continue to be such a thing. 

The snapping of a twig brought Link’s attention back to the present. He pulled his lips into a thin smile as a fawn came from the bushes, hopping about with its mother behind. The scene assured Link slightly. So long as something lived in Hylia’s domain, she would never truly be gone, nor forgotten. As Link moved forward, focused now, he took deep breaths to control his emotions. He had to stay calm. 

After all, the moments he let his emotions take care control were the ones that had been the most influential in the tide of war. He knew that. Ghirahim had almost won because of his relief. He hadn’t been ready to protect, to fight, for his friends. He had to control himself from then on because he was the only one who knew how to protect the world of Hyrule that had been named after his golden goddess above. 

Link took a big gulp of air. And then he coughed. The air, of which had been clean seconds earlier, was now acitrid and hazy in lungs. The air seemed to choke out every muscle in his body. Link could only do one thing-  _ fly _ . 

When he lifted the strong, ashen wings high above his head, the whole world seemed to freeze for a couple of seconds. Then he shot high into the air. The cool breeze and the shocked screams of birds made him smile. He had missed this. Even the early flight the morning before was not as invigorating as this. It was likely just because of the smoke entering his lungs, but Link didn’t care. 

Instead, he looked into the burning orange forest below, shocked at how… beautiful the scene looked. And yet, it was also so destructive. So fearful. The fire made Link feel like he was in a furnace, but he did not falter. He had to make sure no one was in the inferno below, scared and trapped. He knew just how fearful fires could be, even if he had not experienced them fully. 

As Link flew against the treetops from a safe distance, he watched the shrubbery and trees burned away. A cool, firm blue stood out against the burning red forest. Link bit his lip, unsure of how he should go about saving the person stuck there. Link huffed, deciding to act and worry later. 

The man dived downwards, into the heat. It felt like being in a dry sauna, or maybe the desert that he had visited many times. But he delved forward, landing on the ground of the burning forest. If not for his earrings, he would’ve burned into a crisp already. 

Link could hardly breathe. The smoke billowed around him like tall, swirling pillars of sand. His throat felt like it was going to burn, his wings felt clogged with dust and heat that he had to let go of. But Link ignored all of this. Instead, he ran towards the person, a small huddle of blue and tan, being accompanied by a black wolf. 

The animal growled gently while Link pulled up the smaller bundle, slumped into an awkward position, asleep. Link didn’t have time to think, for the sound of a falling tree branch made him jump back. He hissed and coughed in agony, wanting to clutch his chest in an effort to relieve it somehow.

But, through clenched teeth, he nodded to the black wolf in front of him. “I’ll get your friend out, you go, now,” Ordered the male, his breath rattling about in his chest. The wolf gave Link a glance before rushing away. Link could not help but pause at the glance, though the sound of crackling made him pull himself back into action. 

Kicking off of one of the smoldering trees in front of him, Link began to take to the air, swerving to avoid burning branches and to keep his cargo from being hurt worse than he’d already been. He hissed in pain as a burning branch fell, landing on his feathers. Link stumbled momentarily before flapping his wings strongly, getting into the air.

The other male in his grasp groaned in pain. Link looked about flapping around in circles while he tried to find a safe place to land and rest his burned wing. He soon did find the source, an outcropping of land from where the fire was likely started. 

Five or six other Hylians were in the area, looking around in confusion. When he landed, most of the men in front of him stepped back in shock or amazement. 

Link dropped the boy in his hands, looking at the group. They all, like him, had general features- blond, some brown, hair with blue eyes, and some semblance of green in their outfit.

Well, two of them did not wear green, but they did share all the other features, and Link could feel some…  _ link _ to them. It was like they were siblings, though he could not put his finger on it. However, Link could not help but notice the others of their involuntary group were eyeing him nervously. Some looked a little excited, others shuffled while avoiding eye contact. 

“...So,” The smallest of the group looked around. “Maybe we should, uh, talk about the fire that just happened?”

“I don’t know about you, but I’m more concerned about the person that actually  _ knows _ how to use their wings,” muttered one of the males, their Wings brown and white, matching his outfit rather well. A male with a pink stripe in his hair nodded agreement.

Link was breathing as deeply as he could, trying to control the threatening coughing in his throat. He could not help but wish that he could hold back the wheezing in his lungs. His wings hurt, and everyone seemed to be feeling a little awkward at this. A man larger than Link came up to him, white wings flashing orange because of the fire, and handed him a red vail

"Drink up, young one." He ordered while turning to the others. Another person, clad in golden chainmail, had pushed his way through the burnt brush, his eyes flashing with relief when they landed on the boy still in Link's arms. "This fire wasn't caused by any ordinary means, you know."

"Well, no duh." Spoke up the one with the reddish-pink strip of hair, picking up one of his stray feathers. "While coming here, I was following some shadow. They seemed to be stirring up trouble." He continued, flicking the long, gray feather away after a moment. 

"...That may be so," The other of the blonds, who wore a royal blue cape, looked around the clearing, observing the group. "But we still should discuss one thing that seems to be an inconsistency among us-" Without another word, he lifted his wing high into the air, of which scattered light, making shade.

The second shortest, a boy in a blue lobster shirt, frowned as he looked out. "You all seem to be afraid of flight, but it's not as scary as you think, you know..." He muttered.

The group of young men was silent for a minute before looking out into the forest, watching as the wood burned. The tallest among them hummed, watching in interest. With a small mutter, the forest seemed to extinguish itself, much to the others' interest and shock. Link, who was beginning to feel nauseous, sat down while wiping away the rest of his drink.

"Uhmm... what are your names?" The man with the cape inquired, looking about the group. The boys looked about nervously, almost fearfully, as though they already knew.

“Link.”

The men, shocked, all drew their blades. Only Link, who was clad in his sailcloth, and the Link with a two-toned blue tunic, didn't move. The one with the red stripe in his hair was simply observing, his sword of red aimed in front of him defensively. Link could recognize the faint glow of affection coming from his old friend, but he said nothing. 

"You know, I've heard tell of a hero reborn with a certain spirit." The red-clad hero muttered.

"As have I," agreed the blue-capped hero. "Honestly, the only reason why I am a captain is because of that spirit. If I didn't have my wings, I likely would be a general by now." The man muttered sadly. 

"You're... a captain?" Asked the other blue-clad, and awake, hero while Link looked up in shock.

"What is this about if you didn't have your wings?" The vulture-winged Hero stood up, glaring at the hero in front of him, of which looked shocked to be scolded. "Our wings were given to us by Hylia herself! The Goddess statues may not be to her likeness, but she *ordered* us to put wings on them, for the sake of the world." Link clenched his fists, feeling his chest heave in effort. "Don't say that you shouldn't have them! It's proof of Hylia's care!"

The supposed captain looked at the ground in shame, silent as Link coughed for the first time. The others also looked either guilty or awed at his words. The Link with a wolfs pelt walked over, patting Link gently and ushering him to sit back down. 

"Well, if... If someone did cause this fire, we need to find them and stop them, before they cause any more trauma to the forest, or people." Spoke up the man in silver armor and white wings. He sounded rather scared, shaken... "I... I need to keep them from the people of Hyrule."

"Well, we'll need names for each other. We can't go out yelling "Link 3" in combat, now can we?" Spoke up the wolf-pelted Link, his hand resting on the vulture-winged back.

As the wolf-pelted link spoke, the Link beside them started to stir, groaning as he reached up to hold his skull. His hair fell against his face, and he had no wings, but the Links who could fly just figured they were in their hidden form. 

"Nayru... I feel awful," He muttered before looking up. "Oh, you're safe! Thank Hylia!" The male exclaimed at the gold-clad hero. The person nodded. 

"For now we must focus on the supposed shadow. But my nickname, I suppose, is..." The broad-shouldered Link fiddled with his blue ocarina, sighing. "Time."

"I'm known as the Hero of Legend in my Hyrule, so if you identity thieves need to call me something, then call me Legend, I suppose." Spoke up the red-clad hero, sheathing his sword. The shortest of them chuckled, putting their own blade away. 

"I'm known by many names, but I prefer to be called Four."

"Four it is," Agreed the captain. "I'll just go by Captain, if you don't mind, everyone."

"I was going to call you that anyway. Though, I must say, most of the knights that I've met are cowards at heart. I hope you're not the same way, *Captain*." Answered the pelted hero. "I'm a simple rancher, been farming most of my life in the faraway reaches of Hyrule. Nothing more, nothing less. Been that way for a while now."

"I- I, uh... travel around a lot, but am known as the Hero of Hyrule? So I guess you can call me either if you really want." Spoke up the hero with brown hair, rubbing his right arm anxiously. 

"I'm a traveler too, but it's moreso sailing than anything," Spoke up the Link with the crab tunic. "So Yeah, Hero of Winds, sailor of seas!" He informed with a smile.

"Uhm... I'm a cook, but I guess you can call me Wild, seeing as... someone used to call me Wild Child all the time." He scratched his head in confusion, sighing momentarily. Then he got up. 

The last Link realized it to be his turn, as everyone turned to look at him expectantly. He took a deep breath and swallowed, feeling a little more energetic after the red potion he was given. "My name... Uh, my *nickname* is Sky, I guess."

"A fitting name for someone who has such strong wings," Four nodded approvingly. "I noticed that some of us were shocked at our friend's decent. Is it possible you all don't know how to fly?"

The rancher shuffled uncomfortably behind Sky while Wild ignored the question altogether, looking away. The others were completely silent, also looking elsewhere. Wind was the only one that smiled somewhat, looking proud of himself. Sky felt himself begin to rock, but he took a deep breath, attempting to steel himself. He couldn't fall, not now. He had to stay strong.

"If... If you all don't know how I can... I can teach you," The male offered, trying to stand. He'd forgotten about the Rancher's arm, which kept him firmly sat down. Sky looked over at him, glaring, only to be glared back at.

"I can hear the rattling in your chest, stay down." Ordered the battle-painted man. Now that Sky thought about it, so did Time. He shook his head, trying, forcing himself to stay up. The rancher stayed beside Sky and Wild, unmoving as both wounded try to stay strong.

As much as Sky hated to admit it, though, He knew that Rancher was right. The world was beginning to spin, even though Sky was anxious to start teaching his fellow Heroes as soon as possible.

Sky sat back down, panting. "There, see? I told you," Muttered his new comrade. "We can pick this up in the morning, but for now, we should stay here and make sure nothing more happens," The rancher continued as the traveler of the group walked over to Wild, his hand glowing a gentle green. 

"Don't worry, I'm gonna heal you," Hyrule assured gently. Wild let Hyrule nearer, watching nervously as Hyrule put a hand to his wounded leg. "There we go, you should feel better now," Hyrule reassured, smiling warmly. "How's your wing, Sky?"

Sky opened his mouth to answer, but he didn't have enough air to do so. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't speak. His throat was as dry as salt, and he felt himself choking on his words. His body felt heavy and tired and he couldn't move his hands or legs much. He couldn't, he couldn't. 

Instead of responding, Sky was wheezing painfully. Legend could immediately tell what was wrong. Without a word, the male walked over, pulling off Sky's Sail cloth and folding it to make a pillow. Twilight wordlessly began helping him settle Sky down.

"Don't move unless you feel better, you hear me?" Legend ordered. Sky nodded, wheezing for air as he tried to settle in. The chainmail against his chest felt heavy, and he knew the others wanted to take it off, but he stopped them. If he were to get into combat, he'd need it to protect himself.

"Fi... Hylia Please, please help me," the male squeezed out the words, "Please help me protect Zelda... and my home,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had claimed to have hopefully capped this chapter off around 4,000 words. This chapter is 5058. I hope y'all are proud of me. Also, thank the wonderful people of the LiveWrite server in discord, or else I would never have finished this chapter. Grammarly and I got beef during this because apparently, Sky is not a valid name. Shut up Grammarly. So, yeah, I'm sorry this took so long. I'm glad it's out now. Don't expect me to post again anytime soon. I will be continuing this because the idea itself is HILARIOUS, and I enjoy angsting my boys. Bye y'all!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not an update but in fact an announcement!

All right folks hello ILY guys but this isn't actually a chapter update sadly. However! I do want to announce that Spreading your Wings has a Discord server! You are free to join with these benefits:

Inside sneak peeks, live writes, secret content, permission to have little fanfics, give your own ideas, and talk to both me and ShortStack, the other author about this! You're also free to discuss headcanons, funny scenes, and things you think might happen in the future, etc. In addition, I'd love to know y'alls better and I want to hear your thoughts in more detail! We'd love to have you join the server and would love to talk with y'all so, so much! Thank you, and sorry for getting your hopes up! Next chapter is outlined and being written though! 

Anyway, enough rambling, Here's your lovely link to the server on Discord (Make sure you have an account): <https://discord.gg/8zQtUtPwWY>


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